1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a discharge method for discharging a liquid having fluidity, and to a method for manufacturing a color filter in which this discharge method is used, to an electro-optical apparatus, and to an electronic devise.
2. Background Information
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2003-159787 discloses a conventional discharge method for discharging a liquid having fluidity. More specifically, this reference discloses a method for manufacturing a color filter by discharging a liquid containing a color filter material onto a substrate.
With the above-mentioned color filter manufacturing method, a plurality of droplet discharge heads having a plurality of nozzles capable of discharging a liquid in the form of droplets are arranged in a specific direction across from a substrate. The substrate and the droplet discharge heads are moved relative to one another in a state in which no liquid is discharged from nozzles located in a specific region at the ends of the nozzle row (unused nozzles), while the liquid is suitably discharged from the nozzles (used nozzles) to specific locations on the substrate, thereby forming a color filter. As a result, the liquid is discharged without using nozzles with a relatively large discharge amount located in a specific region at the ends of the nozzle row, so the liquid is discharged more evenly.
Also, aside from color filters, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2004-290799 discloses a conventional liquid discharge apparatus and a method for manufacturing a device, in which a liquid having fluidity is discharged so as to form a functional thin-film in a fine and precise pattern on a substrate.
With this method for manufacturing a device, the behavior of the liquid droplets as they land on the substrate is continuously monitored with a camera provided to the droplet discharge apparatus, and the optimal liquid discharge conditions can be determined on the basis of these results.
The amount of liquid discharged from the plurality of nozzles of the above-mentioned droplet discharge heads varied in actual practice from nozzle to nozzle. If this variance was large, it resulted in unevenness in the thin-film formed after discharge, so the problem with a color filter, for example, was uneven color.
An example of the cause of this variance in the amount of discharge between nozzles is what is known as electrical crosstalk, in which there is variance in the drive voltage between adjacent nozzles when drive voltage is applied to an energy generation unit (such as a piezoelectric element or a heating element) used for discharging liquid in the form of droplets from the nozzles. Another example is what is known as mechanical crosstalk, in which variance occurs when the liquid is supplied, such as shape variance in the channel through which the liquid is supplied, and the speed or pressure at which the droplets are discharged varies between nozzles.
The present invention was conceived in light of these problems, and it is an object thereof to provide a discharge method with which variance can be reduced in the amount of discharge between adjacent nozzles, and a liquid can be discharged in a consistent amount, as well as a color filter manufacturing method, electro-optical apparatus, and electronic device that make use of this discharge method.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved discharge method for discharging a liquid having fluidity. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.